◈ Episode 26

"shooting!"

As soon as the order was given, the bounty hunters pulled their triggers. No, there were quite a few who started shooting even before the order was given.

It was an expression of fear. The scene unfolding before my eyes had a certain amount of pressure.

"Shoot, shoot!"

"Stop mumbling and get out there!"

Countless Outlaws poured out, pushing away my fallen comrades who had been shot, or using them as shields.

Of the bounty hunters present, only a few took up arms with the sole purpose of protecting the city.

Bounty hunters were always calculating people. They would kill and protect others depending on the amount of money offered.

Today was no different.

There was a risk, but the reward was substantial. There were even many people who thought that if they kept on going, the police would take care of things.

The madness of war was surely consuming the unprepared. Bounty hunters screamed and fired their supplied guns.

In fact, that was their role too.

'Good start.'

Kim Yi-hyeon looked at the situation from the railing on the 7th basement floor. Gunshots and the sound of shells falling could be heard nearby. It was White Fang's covering fire.

There was no need to join right away. To begin with, Kim Yi-Hyeon wasn't as good at shooting as the rest of the team. [Ivory]'s effective range wasn't that long either.

'More than anything, it's not time to let up yet.'

Common sense tells us that it was a battle that the enemies had no chance of winning. The moment they came out of a single entrance, the outcome was already decided.

Outlaws were easy targets.

'They barely brought any explosives.'

It was because they were worried about the damage to the building. From the beginning, the Cilicia side was not interested in winning or losing.

'How little damage can it be done?'

It was more like a human hunt than a battle.

'That would be true if the enemy was only Outlaws.'

The legion is not that easy.

Whoosh!

An iron barrel was thrown from inside the passageway through which the Outlaws continued to emerge. Black smoke poured out from the opened barrel.

"Is that a smokescreen? What a nuisance."

Bryce clicked his tongue as he looked through the scope of his semi-automatic rifle. Unfortunately, this was a different kind of smoke grenade.

'It starts now.'

The greatest power that the Legion possesses is 'Spells'. Not only does it have a large number of people with abilities, but it is also a group that studies and uses spells themselves.

'In some ways, it's similar to the Cellbrox Lab.'

The identity of a research institute and a military group is the same. The difference is the direction. Compared to Lab, which uses spells in various industries, Legion's purpose is much simpler.

It is for military use.

"Ugh, ugh. Ugh!"

The bounty hunters who inhaled the smoke retched. Their eyes became bloodshot and their limbs trembled. The strangeness did not stop there.

"Ugh, ah, groan…!"

"AAAAAHHH! What the hell are you doing!"

Someone lost their temper and attacked their allies. One bounty hunter forcefully pushed away a comrade who was rushing at him.

Then he could see.

Eyes that looked in different directions like cross-eyed eyes. Pupils that twitched madly, unfocused. With his mouth, he was chewing on the flesh of someone he had bitten.

The same thing happened everywhere. A tearing scream rang out. The lowest level of Metro City was turned into a chaos in an instant.

"Disgusting children."

Kim Yi-hyeon spit out a swear word. That was a trademark tactic of the Legion.

Spells are closely connected to the nervous system of the person with the ability. When used, a special substance is secreted, and the non-abilityed person has no immunity to this substance.

If it enters the body, it will cause a severe rejection reaction. Confusion is the most common symptom. It is a biochemical weapon, so to speak.

"Okay, okay! Push through!"

"Get out of here, you little pigs!"

Outlaws with their breathing apparatus covered by masks emerged from the smoke. They sprayed bullets as they searched for a way upstairs.

"Fuck. Stop it!"

The mercenary waiting on the escalator shouted.

The pre-installed machine guns opened fire. As the long belt of ammunition was shortened, the Outlaws were swept away helplessly.

at that time.

Snowfield dashed across the battlefield, cutting through the entire blocking cover and leaping high as she reached the escalator.

"article...!"

The machine gunner's head was severed and flew into the air with a shocked expression. Meanwhile, the mercenaries aimed their guns at Snowfield, who had climbed up the stairs.

Snowfield stomped his feet lightly.

Damn it!

Even before the bullets could be fired, the mercenaries' bodies were frozen along with their rifles. Snowfield cleared the area and searched the 8th basement floor with his eyes.

Mercenaries were stationed at regular intervals. Bang, taang! Bullets flying from the front and rear bounced off the frost armor.

It's just leftovers.

Snowfield paid no attention to the enemies here. The sniper that had been bothering him the other day had not yet been identified.

Snowfield climbed up onto the railing and launched himself into the air.

The large-caliber bullets fired from above did not even graze Snowfield. She landed lightly on the massive pillars that supported Metro City.

Then he started running backwards on the pole, leaving behind frost like footprints wherever he walked.

After climbing for a while, I kicked the pillars again and jumped up. It was the 5th basement floor. There was a group wearing blue protective suits.

It was the police force of Cilicia.

thud!

Snowfield stormed into the ranks of the security force. She muttered as she looked around at the enemies armed with gunlances and shields.

"I do feel sorry."

"...You little monster."

A deep voice was heard low in the commotion of the battlefield. A man with four pairs of wing symbols on his chest took a charging stance.

"There is only one opponent. Subdue him. I won't ask about life or death."

* * *

It was a strange war, Kim Ihyeon thought.

The battlefield is an underground structure designed with advanced technology. It must have used technology that surpasses modern levels, but the majority of the battlefield is still occupied by riflemen.

The use of heavy weapons was extremely limited. The only explosives available were grenades. Even those could not be thrown indiscriminately.

Bounty hunters mixed with Outlaws, the huge amount of money it would take to maintain the station in the future…. When you calculate this, the most effective weapon is bullets.

On the one hand, the enemy leader strode across the battlefield with a single sword. Kim Yi-Hyeon even felt as if several eras were mixed together.

'I knew he was an uncooperative kid, but I never thought he'd be this bad.'

Kim Yi-hyeon clicked his tongue as he looked upstairs. He didn't think he'd be stuck in the back, but he couldn't have jumped in alone.

When I saw him running up the pillar, I almost screamed. I thought, what kind of crazy thing is that?

I realized anew how dangerous it was to be left alone with Snowfield.

'Still, the situation itself has improved a lot.'

The police, who had been watching the fire from across the river, now had a job to do. It would have been better if they had just dealt with Snowfield, but it would have been enough if they had just caught him by the ankle.

In the meantime, we need to clean up the below as much as possible.

So that the upcoming battle is not interrupted.

"You finally crawled out."

Kim Yi-hyeon dropped his gaze again. Enemies with outfits that were clearly different from Outlaws emerged from the black smoke.

Legion combat unit wearing gas masks.

From the moment they stepped out, it was a critical moment. Kim Yi-hyeon turned around and entered the cargo warehouse.

In the corner of the warehouse, Asterike was crouching, her ears covered to avoid hearing the endless gunshots and screams.

"Tongue, string."

As the sound of people approached, Asterike raised her head. Pale complexion. Blue lips. She looked blatantly frightened.

Kim Yi-hyeon thought that his own face would not be much different. He had already accepted the Polaris world as reality.

You are in a real battlefield, not a game.

Fear gripped my legs and a sense of pressure weighed on my shoulders. Even though I was used to fighting, I couldn't stay calm. I felt like running away.

I had to endure it.

"Asterique."

"Ugh, I'm sorry. I can't do it. Oh, I didn't know something like this would happen."

Her voice was weak. Her golden eyes showed none of her usual innocence. She was still 'Asterique'.

I never regretted it. It was a comfort on tiring days. But now more than ever, I needed 'Ast'.

"...Listen carefully to what I say."

Kim Yi-hyeon hugged Asterike. He could feel her body trembling. He brushed his gray-white hair back and spoke quietly.

"I could run away now. I could hide here and do nothing, waiting until it's all over."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's do that. There are so many people. It's okay if we don't go, right?"

"No, it won't be okay."

What if Mithril had come as it was originally? He would have shown a one-man show. Mithril is definitely a powerful ability user.

However, it is not a monster that can decide the outcome of a war on its own. Above all, it would have been dealt with in the LW-3 stage from the beginning.

Snowfield is different.

In the game, she has a record of single-handedly taking down the legions of the Shiran Empire. She is no match for the Cilicia security force.

"If Cilicia is taken away, this will happen everywhere. It may seem like hell to you, but... that's only for now. It will be the same everywhere. Where will you run to, where will you hide?"

"I, I...."

"I know how you feel. It must have been sudden. It's also my fault for deliberately dropping you down from the basement."

Even at this moment, the ground will be bathed in splendid neon lights. Citizens will be enjoying drinks and food, and watching league matches.

"Think of it this way. That's a disaster."

A disaster that devastates the continent. The world is full of suffering and hatred, so there is no reason why a man-made disaster would not occur.

"The only thing that's conscientious is that you can deal with it somehow. Assuming that those who can do it do their job properly."

Kim Ihyeon, who had said that, released the arm that was holding Asterike. Then, he pulled the spell suppressor out of Asterike's wrist.

"I'll take care of this."

I put the suppressor in my pocket. I pushed away the white hand that was grabbing my sleeve as if it was hanging on, and got up.

The story was over.

"When you're ready, do your job."

Kim Yi-hyeon turned his back and went out of the cargo hold. The sound of heavy breathing coming from behind was swallowed up by the noise of the battlefield.

Bryce reported the situation.

"Now, they're coming. Outlaws are outlaws, but those guys are annoying."

The Legion's combat units were equipped with unique equipment. They would shoot anchors from their arm braces and embed them in walls, and then use the wires to climb floors in one go.

There were quite a few capable people among them. They threw oil bottles, threw fireballs, scattered mud, and even simply shot guns.

The Outlaws advanced while the combat unit was causing confusion on the flank. By simply charging forward, the Outlaws were carrying out their duties as soldiers admirably.

"Damn it. What are those police bastards doing?"

"I didn't expect it from the beginning. I guess he was just going to show up at the last minute to show off. Where would he be dealing with that monster? Hyun must have been bored, so this is good."

"Can't I just keep being bored?"

"Why, wouldn't it be nice to have a story to tell while drinking this time?"

"You make a lot."

Kim Hyun-i responded to Jenna's words with a snicker. It was fortunate that they still had the presence of mind to joke around with each other.

The leisure time soon disappeared.

Outlaws appeared down the stairs. They didn't bother to take over every floor. They were just persistently aiming for the ground level.

On their own!

The volley of bullets pushed the Outlaws back. Kim Yi-Hyeon, holding his shield and pistol in his hands, looked at the railing instead of the stairs.

'come.'

Maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed like I heard a wire being pulled, which shouldn't have been heard over the loud gunfire.

The timing was perfect.

There was a legion climbing over the railing on a wire. I could see the veins in his eyeballs bulging out from inside his gas mask.

'I never thought I'd see these hopeless guys in person.'

The Legion's combat unit, Walker. When going into battle, they use various inhumane methods to enhance their physical abilities and elevate their spirit.

The Walker unit, which has been strengthened by such a leap forward, boasts combat capabilities comparable to those of a three-star agent, with each member possessing these abilities.

In other words, the newbie crusher. This is the unit that killed the most newbies in Polaris.